What Dreams May Come
by ladyhawk89
Summary: When Zuko's ship becomes lost in a dead-zone, he finds himself in a place he never expected. A prequel of sorts to to "First Date".


_**What Dreams May Come**_

The sea spread itself around the warship like miles of the smoothest black satin sheet beneath the starry night sky. Zuko stood on the deck staring at the dark horizon , for once not searching the skies for a glimpse of the Avatar's elusive flying bison, but rather looking for anything to tell him where he was. There was absolutely nothing and Zuko was forced to admit what his crew had suspected for hours- they were lost at sea. With a disgusted sigh, the young prince turned his back to the open water.

"What's wrong, Prince Zuko?" Zuko looked up to see his uncle strolling towards him. Iroh leaned against the railing next to Zuko and smiled unconcernedly.

"We're lost," Zuko said with a shrug.

"We're not lost," Iroh contradicted. Zuko frowned and gestured to the wide expanse of water around them.

"We have no way of telling where we are, Uncle. We should have seen land by now, but there's been nothing for a day and a half! We got off course somehow." Iroh listened to his nephew and nodded gravely before he gave his opinion.

"None of that means we're lost."

"Uncle!" Zuko said, exasperatedly. He shook his head, too tired to argue anymore. It wasn't as if the situation was dire. There was enough food the sustain the crew of 140 for a good two weeks- three, if they rationed carefully. Zuko was sure they'd find land long before the food ran short. But being lost meant they would fall behind the Avatar and his little group. Zuko couldn't afford to lose that time, especially since he foud out his father was ready to send Azula after the Avatar. Zuko's scowl deepened and Iroh put a hand on his shoulder to pull his attention back.

"We aren't lost, Zuko," he said. "I've been through these waters before." That got Zuko's attention. He snapped his head towards his uncle.  
"You have?" he asked surprise. "Where are we?"

"No place on any map," Iroh said offhandedly. "It's a dead-zone. Most ships pass through at least one. We're exactly where we are supposed to be and we will pass through when the time is right."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zuko demanded, scowling again. "Why do you always have to be so cryptic?"

"I am not cryptic," Iroh existed. "No one really knows what a dead-zone is. It is actually not accurate to call them dead-zones as they are alive with spiritual energies. Strange things happen in dead zones, and sometimes things are revealed to travelers. Who knows, maybe something will be revealed to you." Iroh looked up at the sky thoughtfully for a moment before shrugging and turning back to Zuko. "But most passages through dead zones are uneventful."

Iroh straightened up and stretched his arms over his head and yawned, ignoring the skeptical glare Zuko was searing him with.

"I'm going to bed," Iroh announced. "And you should get some rest, too. The watchmen will tell us if they spot land."

Zuko stayed out on deck for a while after Iroh had gone to bed, looking at the water.

"Spirits who reveal things, huh?" he mused. "How about revealing where I can find the Avatar? Or how I can regain my honor, my home, by birthright?" The night was silent, without even a breeze to break the monotony. Zuko rolled his eyes and went to his room. As he was laying down to sleep, Iroh's words replayed in his mind and Zuko wondered what on earth spirits on the ocean could possibly have to tell him.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Sunlight streaming through the window woke Zuko the next morning. With a groan, he turned away from the window. He knew Iroh would be in to wake him soon enough, and he wanted to steal another few minutes of rest before he had to start another day of hunting the Avatar. Sure enough, as Zuko was steeling himself for the day ahead, the door opened and he heard footsteps crossing the floor.

"Zuko, it's time to get up." Zuko sat up with a start. That feminine voice was _definitely _ not his Uncle. Standing at the side of his bed was a strange woman in red pajamas and a matching robe. She looked like the waterbender the Avatar traveled with, but she was a bit older. In her early twenties instead of fourteen or fifteen. What was her name? Kya or something. Zuko watched her warily as she sat down on the bed, which Zuko realized for the first time was bigger than the bed he had fallen asleep in.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked at last. Every nerve in his body was preparing for a fight, but the woman just took her long brown hair out of the braid it was in and started brushing it. She paused for a moment and rolled her eyes at Zuko.

"I know we haven't seen each other in a couple of days, but I thought it would be nice to have breakfast with my husband at some point this week." That hit Zuko like a bolt of his father's lightning. This woman thought he was her husband? The woman didn't seem to notice Zuko's shock and she leaned over to give him a peck on his lips.

"Hurry and get dressed," she said standing up. "I'll go get the kids up." Zuko thought his heart had stopped. Kids? He didn't recover in time to ask questions. By the time he regained use of his limbs, the woman was gone. Zuko threw the blankets off of him and leapt out of bed. He was wearing the same pajamas he had been wearing when he went to bed, but something was different. They seemed to fall on him differently and there was something strange going down his back. He went over to the dressing table and looked in the mirror. What he saw startled him almost as much as the woman had. He was still himself, but he looked a bit older. His face had filled out and his jaw looked more square. He was taller and his arms and chest had more defined muscles. The biggest difference, however, was the long black hair falling down to his shoulders. He looked more like his father than ever. Zuko turned from the mirror, his heart pounding in his chest.

"What on earth is going on?" he asked, running a hand through his hair, but the sensation of it was so new that it added to his agitation rather than relieved it. Zuko took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. The door opened and the woman- his wife apparently- walked back in.

"Hon, why are you not getting dressed?" she asked, exasperatedly. "We don't have a lot of time. There's so much to do before Uncle Iroh gets here."

"Uncle's coming?" Zuko asked, relieved. The woman laughed a little before going to the wardrobe.

"Don't tell me you forgot," she admonished playfully. "You're far too young for your memory to be slipping." Zuko blinked in surprise. How old was he? The woman pulled some clothes out and handed them to him. "Get dressed! We're having breakfast on the terrace." The woman grabbed some more clothes and went into the bathroom connected to the bedroom. Zuko looked around again and realized for the first time that he knew exactly where he was. It was his parents' bedroom, but it was different. The bed was new, as was the wardrobe that his and his wife's clothes were hanging in, but it was definitely his parents' room. The question was how did he get there? And who was the woman in the bathroom?

"Zuko," she called through the door. "Could you check on the kids? I laid their clothes out, but they're going to need help getting dressed."

"Um…sure," Zuko said, uncertainly. "Where are they?"

"In the nursery," the woman answered, exasperatedly. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Fine…just fine," Zuko said vaguely. He knew where the nursery was. He walked towards the room where he and Azula had spent their younger years. Everything had an air of unreality. The hall was the same, but different. Just like his parents' bedroom, there were new additions. There was a large portrait of his mother hanging next to a portrait of Zuko and the woman who called him her husband. It must have been a few years old, because the woman looked to be about 16 or 17 and Zuko wasn't as muscular as he was now. It was unnerving how much the woman looked like the Avatar's waterbender. What _was_ her name? He had heard her companions say her name before, but as he was almost always fighting them when he met them, he had never really paid attention. It started with a K. Kya? Kitar? Kaoutar?

"Katara," Zuko whispered to himself. That was her name. He was almost certain. He was married to her? Then it hit him. It must be a dream. Zuko, calmed down for the first time since he had woken. If it was a dream, then it was just a simple matter of waking up. He closed his eyes and focused on coming back to consciousness. After a few moments, he felt nothing happening. He opened his eyes and sure enough, he was still in the hallway. Frowning Zuko tried the next best way he knew to wake himself up and pinched his arm, hard.

"Ow!" he said. He rubbed his arm. The pain was real and the hallway had not disappeared. Zuko was beginning to panic again. "Calm down. Uncle's coming- Uncle!" Iroh would have all the answers. For now, Zuko would play along. That meant going to dress his-kids.

The nursery looked nothing like he remembered it. Instead of red and gold, it was a light yellow color. There were toys that he never had growing up. There was a rocking ostrich horse, building blocks, and dolls with dresses from the different nations. The only things that were familiar about the room were the tiny beds against opposite walls. There were two children-toddlers really- a boy and a girl, trying to get into the clothes their mother had lain out. They looked up when Zuko entered the room and immediately ran at Zuko, throwing their arms around his legs.

"Daddy!" the cried simultaneously, jumping up and down. The boy looked like his mother, but with Zuko's amber eyes, while the girl, who seemed to be younger than the boy looked like Zuko's mother, but with blue eyes.

"Um…good morning?" he said uncertainly. The little girl stretched her arms out.

"Toss me up!" she demanded.

"Huh?" Zuko blinked in confusion.

"I want to play fir bird!" she insisted, mispronouncing what Zuko could only assume was 'fire-bird'.

"Ah, I think your mother wants you to get dressed so we can have breakfast together." The little girl screwed her face up like she was about to cry, and Zuko could feel panic rising again. He knelt down quickly and put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "We can play fire bird later, ok? I promise."

"Haha!" the little boy laughed. "Ursa's gonna cry like a baby!" The girl's name was Ursa, now what was the boy's name?

"Don't make fun of your sister," Zuko said without much conviction. The boy shrugged. "Go get dressed."

"I can't," the little boy said. "I need help with the pants."

"I don't need help," Ursa said proudly. "I can get dressed by myself!" She started pulling a dress over her head. It was backwards and Ursa was trying to get her head though and arm hole. Zuko sighed and helped her get it on right before going to help the boy with his clothes while Ursa went to play with her dolls.

"Hey…champ," Zuko said awkwardly. "You want to play a game?" The boy nodded eagerly.

"Yeah!" Zuko had to smile at him. The kids were pretty cute, he had to admit to himself, though it was strange to think of them as his.

"It's called the name game," Zuko told him. "You have to tell me the names of all the people you know. Like, mine. Do you know my name?"

"You're Daddy!" the boy said, laughing. Zuko chuckled and shook his head.

"But what's my real name? What does…Mommy call me?"

"Mommy calls you a lot of things," the boy said. "She calls you honey and darling and silly and Zuko." Zuko sighed in relief. The boy knew his name, which means he probably knew his mother's name. Encouraged, Zuko continued.

"And what about Mommy? Do you know _her_ name?"

"What you call her?" the boy asked. Zuko nodded and the boy thought. "You call her darling and love and flame of my heart and Katara." Zuko felt his face flush hotly. Those mushy words came out of _his _ mouth? But now he knew for certain that the woman was the Avatar's waterbender. But how did he come to be _married_ to her of all people? There was no time for wondering about that now. Zuko had one more question for the boy.

"Now here's the most important question," he said seriously. The boy looked at him just as seriously. "Do you know _your_ name?" The boy smiled brightly.

"I can spell it!" he said. "L-u-t-e-n. Lu Ten!" Zuko blinked in surprise. He had two kids who were named after important people in his life. It was the strangest feeling to hear those names on people who didn't have the faces he was used to being attached to them.

"Daddy!" Lu Ten said, excitedly. "Are you excited about the party tomorrow?"

"Party?" Zuko asked, confused.

"For your _birthday_! Everybody's coming!"

"Who's everybody?" Ursa looked up from her dolls and answered before Lu Ten could.

"Uncle Sokka and Auntie Suki and…and Grandpa Hak…Hakodda and Auntie Toph and Uncle Aang!"

"The Avatar's coming?" Zuko asked, his eyes widening. The Avatar was coming and his children called him Uncle. What on earth had happened? Were they allies now? Friends? Zuko would have to ask Iroh later. The door opened and the woman- Katara- his wife walked in. She was dressed and her hair was pulled away from her face, with half of it spilling down to her waist. She was very pretty- beautiful even. Zuko had never noticed before.

"Are you ready?" she asked them. The kids leapt up and greeted her with the same enthusiasm they had greeted him.

"Mommy!" they cried. She laughed and showered them with hugs and kisses, just like Zuko's mother used to do to him and Azula. It made Zuko smile unconsciously. If this was a dream, Zuko was fine with not waking for a while. Katara looked up at him and smiled brightly.

"Let's go, "she said, standing up to link her arm through his. "Breakfast is waiting for us."

"Alright." Zuko tightened his arm slightly, enjoying the feel of her holding on to him. It wasn't a sensation Zuko ever expected to feel.

Breakfast was pleasant. It was just him and his family with servants coming in every so often to bring in food or drinks. They discussed the plans for his birthday party. Or rather, Katara discussed and Zuko listened, as he had no idea what was going on.

"So, the guys and I were talking and we decided it would be nice to have a private dinner tonight before the ball," she said. "We haven't had time together in months and it'll be nice to have the gang all in one place for once. You know all those dignitaries are going to hog all your attention at the ball. Everyone wants a piece of the Fire Lord." Zuko choked on his coffee and Katara hit him on the back until the sputtering stopped. Zuko felt a bit foolish for being surprised. It all fit after all. Living in the palace, sleeping in his parents' old room, the portrait in the hall. He should have known what it meant, but processing the fact that he had a family had distracted him from that part of this new life.

"Are you ok, honey?" she asked with genuine concern. Zuko nodded.

"I just- I just breathed in while I was swallowing," he told her. Lu Ten and Ursa laughed at him.

"Daddy's a silly!" Ursa declared. Zuko scowled, which made his children laugh even harder. Katara grinned at them, which made Zuko's breath catch again.

"Alright, that's enough," she said, still smiled a bit. "Finish eating, it's almost time for your lessons."

"Aww, Mom," Lu Ten whined. "Do we have to?" Katara nodded and took a sip of her coffee.

"Yes, you do. It's going to be fun."

"But Jun makes me do hard stuff." Lu Ten pouted petulantly, but Katara wasn't moved.

"You need to know your letters, Lu Ten. You're a smart boy. It won't be hard if you pay attention. You'll have the day off from lessons tomorrow, so you have to learn a lot today, ok?" Lu Ten nodded reluctantly. Ursa on the other hand was excited to start.

"Yay! I get to paint!" she cheered.

"After you finish your breakfast," Katara said, pointing to the fruit still on their plates. They started eating again and Katara turned to Zuko. "Zuko, I know you and Sokka have this ongoing competition or something between you, but I made him promise to behave himself and I want you to behave, too. I don't want another incident like the last time."

"What happened last time?" Zuko asked. Katara raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a no nonsense look.

"Don't play games," she said. "You know what I'm talking about. It won't happen again tomorrow. _Especially_ not with the kids around. I'm sure Suki's having the same talk with Sokka. If something like that happens again, we _will _ have words."

"Ooh! Daddy's in trouble," Lu Ten taunted. Katara fixed the boy with the same no nonsense look she gave to her husband, and the boy was immediately cowed. Zuko was slightly impressed. A woman came to the door and bowed politely.

"Good morning, Fire Lord Zuko, Fire Lady Katara," she said. Zuko looked at her blankly, but Katara smiled brightly and rose to greet her.

"Jun, good morning! The kids are almost done with breakfast. Would you like a cup of coffee?" Jun shook her head and smiled.

"No thank you, your majesty," she said. Lu Ten and Ursa ate the last of their fruit and stood up. Katara gave them both a hug and a kiss.

"I'll see you in a few hours," she said. "Say bye to Daddy." The kids went over to Zuko and he hugged them somewhat stiffly and let them kiss his cheeks with sticky lips.

"Bye, Daddy," they said, latching onto Jun's hands. Zuko waved at them bemusedly. Then Katara stood up and stacked their empty plates in the middle of the table.

"Zuko, we have to get ready, too," she said. "You have a lot of paperwork to get done, don't forget."

"Paperwork?" he asked. He never remembered his father doing paperwork. But then, he rarely saw his father outside of scheduled family times and what the old Fire Lord called training sessions. Katara looked at him sympathetically.

"I know you hate it, but I'll be there a little later to help you out."

"What are you going to be doing?" Zuko asked. He was reluctant to let her leave him alone. Aside from the fact that he wanted to get to know his wife a little better, she seemed to have a better grasp of what it was he was supposed to be doing. He needed her guidance.

'I have to help set up for the ball," she said. "And there's a delegation from the Society of Nations coming. I have to make sure everything is set up for the state dinner the night after tomorrow. And Iroh's coming, don't forget, we have to meet him at the dock before the guys get here. I'm sure you'll want some time with him before we have dinner with everyone."

"You sound busy," Zuko said, disappointedly.

"Well, I'm not the Fire Lord, but I do find things to occupy me," Katara said. She kissed Zuko's scarred cheek without seeming to think about it. "I'll come up to your office in a while. Don't make and big decisions without me! I love you!"

"I love you, too," Zuko almost whispered hesitantly as Katara swept back into the palace. Zuko rubbed his cheek absentmindedly. All things considered, it seemed he had a happy marriage with the waterbender. He sat at the table dazedly, reeling from the shock of the morning, until the servants came in to clear the table. That brought him back to the present. He remembered he was supposed to be going along with what seemed to be his normal routine and that meant going to his office to do paperwork.

Zuko thankfully remembered the way to his father's old office. He had only been in it a handful of times, but he remembered it being dark and forbidding. Not exactly a place he wanted to spend his morning. He opened the heavy wooden door and was shocked to see that his office was as different as the nursery. The walls were painted in gold and the floor was carpeted with a soft, rich red color. The desk was also new. The desk Zuko's father used was stained almost black. This new desk was tea oak stained in a reddish brown color. The high backed chair was the same color as the desk and upholstered in a soft suede. It was comfortable and Zuko sat in it and looked around the office. There were small portraits of his wife and children on the desk and Zuko wondered once more what had led him to this happy life. Clearly he hadn't captured the Avatar, or he was certain they wouldn't be friends, and he _surely_ wouldn't be married to his fiercely loyal friend who was a very skilled waterbender with a violent temper. Had he joined with the Avatar and his friends? Or had something else happened? Zuko shook his head. All of his questions would have to wait until his Uncle arrived. Iroh always helped Zuko when he was lost, he could surely help him now. For now, Zuko had to focus on living this unfamiliar life.

On the desk before him was a large pile of paper sitting in one basket. Beside the pile was an empty basket. This he could figure out. The large pile of paper must have been things that he needed to go over and either sign or veto and the empty basket was to hold the papers that had been signed. Iroh had mentioned that this was part of being Fire Lord, but Zuko never paid attention to what he said about it. Now he wished he had. With a sigh, Zuko picked up the first paper and read it. It was property law, something Zuko knew little about. This was going to be harder than he thought.

Three hours later Zuko had made little progress and he was becoming more and more stressed out. When Katara entered the office, Zuko had one hand twisted in his hair and was chewing a nail on his other hand. In front of him was something about foreign policy. Katara looked startled and she rushed to his side.

"What's wrong, Zuko?" she asked taking his hand in hers.

"I can't-I don't," he tried to explain before he threw his hands in the air in frustration. "I can't do this! I don't know what to do with this!"

"Calm down, sweetheart," Katara said soothingly. She put her arms around his neck and made him look her in her eyes. "What's going on with you today? You aren't acting like yourself. This isn't anything you can't handle. Are you sick?" Katara looked so genuinely concerned that Zuko almost told her what was going on. Almost. The truth was, he didn't know her, and as much as she truly seemed to care about him, Zuko couldn't bring himself to confide in her. Finally, Zuko turned away from her.

"It's nothing, really," he said. Katara looked hurt, which made Zuko feel worse, but she smiled a bit.

"Alright," she said, understandingly. "I won't push. You probably want to talk to Iroh about it, right?" Zuko once again found himself looking at her in surprised. She was incredibly perceptive for a perfect stranger. Although, Zuko reflected, they had been married for at least three or four years, judging by Lu Ten's apparent age. She probably knew him very well, but Zuko didn't know her.

"I do," he admitted. Katara nodded and smiled at him again.

"That's alright, but you'll talk to me about it later, yeah?" she asked, running a hand down the side of Zuko's face. No one had done that since his mother. Zuko unconsciously leaned towards the touch.

"Yeah," he agreed. Katara turned her attention to the paperwork that was causing her husband such frustration. She read over the paper that he had been looking at when she came in and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Honey, why are you doing the foreign policy work?" she asked him. "I normally take care of this. No wonder you're stressing out!" Katara started sorting through the papers and taking out the ones on foreign policy. It made the pile of papers in front of Zuko immediately smaller. Though it was still a big pile, Zuko felt better now that Katara was helping him. It was something he never remembered his parents doing together. Zuko hadn't realized he'd been staring at Katara until she looked up from the papers in her hand and frowned slightly.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I was just-wondering how I got lucky enough to wind up married to you," he said truthfully. Katara smiled and playfully mussed his hair.

"I think it was the hair," she said. "I can't resist handsome men with messy hair." She went back to her pile of papers and Zuko went back to his, but he kept watching Katara out of the corner of his eyes. He would have never guessed that this gentle caring side of her existed. Every time he had found himself with her before, it was as enemies and she had been nothing short of a fierce warrior, and though he had been impressed with her skills then, he had never imagined falling in love with her. Now it seemed easy. He was already half-way there after less than a day.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"Zuko, stop fidgeting!" Katara said. "It's not going to make us get there any faster. Iroh's going to be here for a whole month!"

"I can't help it!" Zuko protested. He was fussing at the official robes and the crown securing his top knot before looking out of the window of the phaeton. "Can't this thing go any faster?"

"You're worse than Lu Ten," Katara said, half laughing, half exasperated. "It's not that long of a trip. I haven't seen you this impatient to see your uncle since after you were officially crowned. Whatever you have to talk to him about must be very important." Zuko huffed and sat back against the cushioned seat and looked across at Katara. She was resting her chin on her hand and staring out of the window. She was also wearing the royal dress of the Fire Lady with the same crown Fire Lady Ursa once wore. Katara was very pretty, Zuko noted once more. Finally, he asked her the question he had been dying to ask her all day.

"Why did you marry me?" Katara looked up at him in surprise.

"Because I fell in love with you," she said, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. And it was, for her. But Zuko was still confused. What had changed?

"Why?" he asked. "I spent so long chasing after you to get to your friend. I was your enemy. Why did you fall in love with me?" Katara looked at him in confusion, but when she saw the earnestness on Zuko's face, she got up and moved beside him. She put his arm around her and leaned into him.

"I fell for you because I got to see who you really were," she told him. "I thought you were this evil guy who just wanted to catch Aang because he wanted more power, but when you came to us and joined us, I realized you were just like me. A scared, hurt kid who had to grow up too fast. And I saw that you weren't an evil, power hungry monster, just a boy who wanted his father to love him. When you gave that up to do what you knew was right, even though it meant your father would be your enemy, I saw how brave you were and I was proud to call you my friend. I guess falling in love with you came during all of that. And how could I say no after you gave me this?

Katara ran her hand over a traditional water tribe engagement necklace carved with the crest of the Fire Nation royal family. It was sloppily done, compared to the necklace Zuko was used to seeing around her neck, but it stood out prominently through the collar of her dress. She had a ruby ring on her finger, as was the custom of the Fire Nation as well, but Zuko had a feeling that she was happier with the necklace he had made. It made Zuko smile and he wrapped his other arm around Katara. He mentally apologized for every battle he had fought against her and allowed himself to be completely content for the first time in his life.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Iroh looked the same as Zuko had remembered the last time he had seen him. It was jarring for him to realize that for him, that was only a few hours ago. The older man hugged his nephew and niece in law tightly.

"How wonderful to see you both!" he said. "I have missed you, and the little ones. I don't suppose you brought them with you?" Iroh looked around eagerly, but Katara shook her head.

"They're back at the palace, but they can't wait to see you," she assured him. She linked her arm through his and walked with him back towards the waiting phaeton. Iroh looked disappointed for a second, but he brightened up and looked at Zuko.

"And how are you, my nephew?" he asked. "It's not every day that you turn 23." So _that's_ how old he was turning, Zuko thought. That would make it about seven years since the night on the ship. Since _last_ night, Zuko corrected himself. He smiled stiffly and nodded.

"It hardly seems real," he said to his uncle.

"He's been out of it all day, Iroh," Katara told him. "I'm hoping you might have better luck cheering him up than I have." Iroh chuckled and patted Katara's arm comfortingly.

"He's probably just worried he's getting old. It's nothing a good meal with good friends can't cure." Iroh helped Katara into the carriage and climbed in after her. Zuko got in last and sat next to Katara. She leaned against him and he instinctively wrapped an arm around her.

"It's nothing to worry about," he assured them both. But I am glad you're here, Uncle."

"We can have a nice talk over a cup of tea when we get to the palace," Iroh told him. "You can tell me how everything is going." Zuko smirked slightly. It was nice to know that some things hadn't changed at all.

The ride back to the palace was full of pleasant, but light conversation. Zuko learned that his uncle had been running a tea shop in Ba Sing Se and helping the Avatar- Aang- to smooth relations between the Fire Nation and the Earth Nation. Iroh was also very active in the White Lotus Society, but he didn't offer many details about what they had been doing. Finally they arrived at the palace and Iroh showered everyone with extravagant gifts that Zuko felt were a little much for his young children. After about an hour, Katara took the children to get ready for dinner and to greet their other guest and Zuko was finally left alone with his Uncle in his office. They sat across from each other in front of the fireplace in two comfortable armchairs.

"So, Zuko," Iroh said after the tea had been delivered and poured. "Why don't you tell me what's been on your mind?" Zuko wasn't surprised that Iroh had immediately tuned into the fact that something was bothering Zuko. It was his way, after all, but Zuko was suddenly hesitant to tell him what was going on.

"You're going to think I'm nuts," Zuko said.

"Try me," Iroh countered, taking a sip of his tea. Zuko hesitated for a moment, but sighed in resignation. This was the moment he had been waiting for all day, no backing out now."

"I don't know how I got here," he said at last. Iroh raised his eyebrow and set tea down.

"Care to elaborate?"

"The last thing I remember before waking up this morning is being on the ship, looking for the Avatar." Iroh blinked in surprise, but said nothing, so Zuko took that as encouragement to continue. "We were lost and you said something about it being a dead zone or something. Then I went to bed and I woke up this morning with a life I don't remember living as the Fire Lord with kids and a wife who's a water bender and who used to be an enemy. I don't know how it happened."

"Zuko, that night on the ship was over seven years ago," Iroh said gravely. "Are you sure you don't remember anything after that?" Zuko shook his head.

"Nothing before this morning. I didn't even know my kids' names. What's going on, Uncle?" Iroh looked just as confused as Zuko felt.

"I don't know," he said. "It could be anything. You may have injured yourself yesterday, but Katara would have healed anything serious, and she would have mentioned it. Or maybe it's stress. Or it could be-no, that would be impossible." Zuko leaned forward anxiously.

"I'm willing to believe anything right now," he said. Iroh stirred his tea and looked into the empty fireplace thoughtfully.

"It could be that this is an effect of the dead zone," he said at last. "Remember, I told you that they were areas of lots of spiritual activity. But this is something I've never heard of before. Granted, no one really knows a lot about dead-zones."

"So, the dead-zone sent me into the future?"

"So it would seem." Iroh took a sip of his coffee and shrugged. "Still, it's just a theory. The bigger question is, what are we going to do about your lack of memories?"

"Can't you tell me what I've missed?" Zuko asked. "How did my life end up here?"

"You joined the Avatar," Iroh said. "As his firebending teacher. It was your destiny, just as I had been trying to tell you for years. The Avatar before Aang was your grandfather, your mother's father, but my father betrayed him and when Avatar Roku died, he searched for the new Avatar, just as your father sent you to do. But when you realized the past the two of you shared, you made the right choice. I wasn't there for that part, I was-on my own mission. We didn't meet up again until right before the last battle. The Avatar took your father's bending and put him in prison, but my brother's political power was still too great. There was a final uprising, and Fire Lord Ozai- he didn't survive." Iroh glanced away from his nephew uncomfortably.

"Did I-did I kill him?" Zuko asked. Iroh didn't answer, but that was enough for Zuko. He was silent for a long time. He had killed his own father. "What about Azula? What happened to her?"

"Your sister went insane," Iroh told him. "You sent her to live in exile in the country side. She's still there." Zuko felt as if a heavy weight had been laid on him and he decided to ask about happier things.

"How did I wind up with Katara?" he asked his uncle. Iroh smiled and chuckled at that.

"Now _ that_ was something," he said. "If I understand things, when you first joined the Avatar, she was- not happy, to say the least. I believe her brother said that she was after your blood for the first few weeks you were with them. None of them are certain when you fell in love, but Toph, the earth bender girl, said that she could tell something was up between the two of you before you knew it yourselves. Perceptive child, that one is. When the war was over, I believe everyone expected she was going to be with Aang and you were going to marry Mai.

"Mai?" Zuko sputtered. "Azula's psycho, knife throwing friend? _That_ Mai?" Iroh nodded.

"You were with her for a few months. It seemed pretty serious, but you two broke up and Katara never got together with Aang and it wasn't too long before the two of you found yourselves together. She was named the Water Tribe ambassador just before Ozai's last uprising, so she was at the palace a lot. I wasn't surprised the day you came to me and told me you wanted to marry her. You asked me to help you get the council's support.

"How did you manage that?" Zuko asked incredulously.

"I was your Regent then," Iroh explained, grinning mischievously. "The council wanted you to marry before you took the throne officially, but they wanted someone either from the Fire Nation or the Earth Nation, because they were more prosperous than the Water Tribes. But I managed to convince them that it would be in the Fire Nation's best interest to have strong ties with the Water Tribe. After all, it is an up and coming political power, especially the Northern Tribe, _and _the next Avatar will be a water bender as well. It would be better to be friendly with them than not. Katara was the obvious choice for your bride because she was the ambassador for both tribes, she had strong ties with the leaders of the Northern Tribe and she was the closest thing the Southern Tribe had to a princess. When I was done, the council all but demanded that you marry her.

"Wow," Zuko said. "You did all that to make sure we would have a good relationship with the water tribes?" Iroh shook his head vehemently.

"I did all of that because I could see how much you loved Katara and how much she loved you. The fact that it was a smart political move just made it simpler to convince the council. You two were married a month after your 19th birthday and you were crowned Fire Lord a week after that.

"How did her family feel about us marrying?" Iroh raised his eyebrows at that.

"It was a bit tense at first," he admitted. "I think Aang still had strong feelings for her, and Katara's brother and father were…hesitant. You and Katara had to convince her father, but he came around. You wound up actually fighting Sokka, though. But I think that was more about the fact that you were marrying his little sister than the fact that you're a fire bender. You two are quite good friends now, though you have a bit of a competitive streak that annoys your wives. After what happened the last time you two were together, I was sure Katara and Suki would never allow you to be in the same room ever again.

"What happened?" Zuko asked, curiously. "Katara mentioned it, too." Iroh shuddered.

"I would rather not say. Let's just say that the kitchen is off limits to you until Sokka leaves." That was all Zuko would get from his uncle, and he let it go, disappointedly.

Iroh and Zuko talked for a while longer, until Katara came and announced that the rest of their dinner party had arrived. When they got to the stables where Aang had landed his flying bison, the group was still in the process of getting out of the basket. Sokka was helping an extremely pregnant woman out with the assistance of an older man who bore a striking resemblance to Katara's brother. Zuko assumed the two were Sokka's wife and father. Aang was helping another girl of about 16 and carrying a child who looked to be around Ursa's age. Iroh leaned in and whispered to his nephew.

"The little girl is your niece, Yue," he explained. "The pregnant woman is your sister-in-law and the man is your father-in-law. The other young woman is Toph Beifong, of the Ba Sing Se Beifongs. She's a very skilled earthbender, and she's blind."

"I remember her," Zuko said. He watched as Katara went to greet the group warmly. He felt a twinge of jealousy when she hugged Aang, who looked about 17 or 18 now. He had grown into a handsome young man, Zuko acknowledged, grudgingly. There didn't seem to be anything between them now, but Zuko still had to fight the feeling of possessiveness welling in him. He was instinctively certain his wife wouldn't appreciate that at all. With an encouraging nudge from Iroh, Zuko went forward to greet them as well, and to his surprise, they all returned his greeting as warmly as they had Katara. Sokka and Hakoda shook his hand heartily. Suki, Sokka's wife kissed his cheek, and their daughter, Yue hugged him as enthusiastically as his own children had.

"Sparky!" Toph said cheerfully as she punched his arm, playfully. Still, Zuko rubbed the sore spot. Toph laughed at him. "Getting soft in your old age?" Aang was the last one to say hello, but he didn't seem to feel as awkward as Zuko expected him to be. He had, after all, married the woman the Avatar had been in love with. When Aang stepped away from him, however, he put his arm around Toph's shoulders and Zuko understood the lack of animosity from his erstwhile enemy.

"What do you say we move this party inside?" Sokka said. "I'm ready to eat!"

"You're always ready to eat, bottomless belly," Katara taunted her brother. "Suki, I don't understand how you keep up with his appetite."

"It isn't easy," Suki laughed. "Sometimes I wonder exactly which one of us eating for two." Everyone laughed at that as they headed inside for dinner.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zuko was quiet during dinner, content to watch everyone interact. Everyone kept trying to draw him into the conversation, but he had no idea what everyone was talking about, so he claimed he was fighting a headache, which wasn't exactly untrue, and he was left mostly alone. Sokka tried to pull Zuko to the side at one point in the evening to issue him some challenge, but both Suki and Katara intervened before Sokka could complete his thought.

"Please, for the love of sanity, at least wait until _after_ the state dinner before you two start acting foolish," Katara pleaded with her brother and husband. Sokka agreed grudgingly, but promised Zuko they would pick up again in three days. They sent the children to bed after dinner and ended the night with a glass of spiced wine- or berry cider, in Suki's case- in Zuko and Katara's sitting room and reminisced about the past. Zuko was sitting on one end of the couch with Katara resting against him while he stroked her hair. Iroh was entertaining the group with stories about Ba Sing Se and the interesting characters in the White Lotus Society. They loved the stories about King Bumi most of all, and Iroh kept them laughing well into the night.

It was into the early hours of the morning before the group dispersed to their respective rooms. Zuko and Katara prepared for bed still talking about their friends and family. Katara lay down beside Zuko and watched him for a few minutes.

"Zuko, is everything ok?" she asked. Zuko turned on his side to face her and studied her face. She looked concerned about him Zuko loved her for it. He kissed her, first on her forehead and then on her lips.

"I've never been so happy in my life," he told her honestly. "Thank you. For everything." Katara smiled brightly and snuggled into Zuko's waiting arms.

"I love you, so much," she told him. Zuko smiled as he drifted off to sleep with his wife in his arms.

"I love you, too, Katara," he said before he closed his eyes.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"I love you," Zuko said, smiling slightly. His hands felt for someone who should be next to him. No one was there. Zuko sat up, feeling confused and disappointed as the door to his room opened. Iroh opened the door and was surprised to see his nephew already awake.

"Is everything ok, Prince Zuko?" he asked. Zuko frowned and tried to remember the dream he had been having. He couldn't remember anything except that he had been extremely happy. He looked at his uncle and nodded.

"I just had a dream," he said. "I can't remember what it was, but I think it was good." Iroh smiled at that. It seemed to him that Zuko had precious few happy dreams.

"The crew spotted land," he told Zuko. "But they saw the Avatar's bison, too. Do you want to go after him?" Iroh wasn't really asking, so much as confirming what he already knew Zuko would choose.

"Let's land," Zuko said. That was not what Iroh was expecting at all. He stood in the doorway for a moment, stunned, but he didn't question Zuko's choice.

"Alright," he said. "I'll let the captain know." Iroh left and Zuko laid back down on his bed and looked out of his window. He could see the flying bison in the distance, and his heart skipped a beat, but he didn't have the heart to hunt the Avatar that day. With a small smile playing at the edge of his mouth, Zuko waved at the small black smudge in the sky and wondered what it felt like to fly like that. He imagined it would be nice.

_I hope you all enjoyed this short fic! I had fun writing it. Please review!_

_Lady Hawk_


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